I just received in the mail what appears to be a traffic ticket from Switzerland - I was there almost 4 months ago. I never got stopped or received a ticket for any infractions. The letter and apparent fine are in German so I have limited ideas of what it is about - I tried google translate and it does not make sense - something about the handlebar of the vehicle below something.. there are what google translates to deliver safety margin, authoritative speed, measured speed, it looks like maybe 6km/h difference - What do I do with this. I don't really want to send money online - I don't really understand what the ticket is for and am uncertain what implications it has for future travel, renting car , etc overseas... any thoughts, ideas, experiences like this?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32446 posts
Lynne, As you were never stopped and issued a ticket, it's likely that it was an automated photo radar or similar device. Which agency was the ticket received from? Do you know of anyone in your area that might be able to translate the German text, perhaps a local school that offers German courses? It would be better to use someone that's familiar with Swiss German, but anyone that speaks the language should be able to figure it out. You may have to spend a few bucks to get the translation though. You might find some good information by having a look at THIS Website. Once you have further details on the ticket, you'll be able to decide how best to deal with it. Good luck!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16531 posts
Post what it says here.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
Swiss speeding laws are incredibly strict. You can be fined for going even 1 km/hr over the limit. Speed limits are camera-enforced. Go here: http://tinyurl.com/c45kt7g Click on "EN" for the English translation. Put in the ticket number and the car's license number (both of which should be on your ticket), and it should return the information you need - in English. The German for Ticket Number is ordnungsbussen - Nr. The German for plate number is fahrzeug-kennzeichen.
Posted by
Bergamo, Italy
118 posts
how can you be fined for exceeding the speed of 1km/hr?, we are human, not cyborg!I would not be able to understand looking at the speedometer.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
And FWIW, you've posted this in the Italy section of the Helpline. Although inevitably somebody makes some snarky comment when someone points that out, I'm letting you know that you might get more people who have experience with Switzerland if you post in that section of the helpline. Good luck getting this straightened out. And now here comes the snarky comment from someone who just can't contain him/herself:
Posted by
Bergamo, Italy
118 posts
Luckily you're here to clarify
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
I found a list of Swiss traffic offenses and fines: http://tinyurl.com/yfwkn3l Looks like they do give you a leeway of 3 km/hr if it's a laser that nails you; 5 km/hr if it's radar.